[ me: updates are gonna come slow, guys. also me: * got woken up at 4 am and couldn't go back to sleep so speed wrote this.

also, the tiktok edits have begun but I can't promise I won't spoil things with them ]

☽︎

YOU WANT HER ON HER KNEES? WHAT YEAR IS IT?

"I can't believe you did that. I can't believe you did that," Jessica kept repeating as they walked from their English class to their history class, which Emmett Cullen was coincidentally in.

"What do you mean? You dared me to," Frankie reminded her while laughing.

"Yeah, but I didn't think you were insane enough to do it," she said.

She shook her head sadly at her friend. "It's like you don't even know me," she mumbled playfully.

"Well, how was it? You didn't say anything at lunch. I was practically dying, Frank, dying."

"'Twas very good," was all Frankie said, grinning as they entered the room, heading for their seats in the back. "I think I get the appeal of them now."

"Well, finally," she said, giggling. It'd been exhausting to be around the only person in the school that didn't think the Cullen family was all that. "Also, I do know you, which is why I know nothing is gonna come of this, unfortunately. Your world is gonna keep revolving around a soccer ball."

"And the band that you're also in," she said, sitting at her desk.

"But would having a boyfriend kill you?"

"It might," she said dramatically, making Jess roll her eyes. "Look, you know I don't have the time to slow down. He'd have to follow me around like a sick puppy for any quality time with me. You know I can't get into Stanford with you on my grades. I've gotta get a soccer scholarship that'll pay for it."

"I know, I know. Can't mess with the plan," Jessica finally conceded. They were going to attend Stanford together and continue the band for as long as they could. Both girls figured that Tyler would be the first to bail on them, but that was okay. He'd take a football scholarship to any school in the country so long as it got him out of fucking Forks. "At least you'll leave this place as the legend that caught a Cullen, even for just a few brief moments."

Frankie eyed Jessica, who was turned around in the desk in front of her and leaning on the back with a dreamy expression on her face. "He's not a fish, Jess."

Jenson Taylor was the classmate in the desk to the right of Frankie. She was surprised he sat in the back because he was kind of a teacher's pet and a nerd. But she didn't complain, because if she looked pathetic enough during tests, he'd whisper answers to her.

However, ten seconds after he'd settled into his desk, someone was looming over his scrawny frame. "Move," Emmett Cullen told him, drawing Frankie and Jessica's attention.

"But this is my seat," Jenson said, beginning to shake a little just because of how huge Emmett was.

If Jenson thought Emmett was going to intimidate him, he was wrong. "Please, dude. My seat's at the front. You look like a front-of-the-class kid," he said, sounding a little desperate to change seats mid-semester.

Before Frankie knew it, Emmett Cullen was sitting by her side, his frame almost comical-looking in the desk. Jessica's mouth was hanging open as Emmett clearly looked at Frankie, having moved seats just to be near her.

"I don't think we got properly introduced before," Emmett said. "I'm Emmett Cullen."

"Frankie Roman," she said, smiling a little. "Can't believe you made poor Jenson move."

"I figure he'll live," he said, shrugging. Then he shot her a charming smirk. "You are a hell of a kisser, Roman."

"Well, you weren't so bad either, Cullen," she said, leaning a little closer. "Thanks. I've never turned down a dare and couldn't stop just because this one over here wanted you to pucker up."

Jessica's face flushed as Emmett glanced at her. "Then I owe you a thank you."

She let out a little nervous giggle, unable to believe a Cullen was talking to her. "It was... was nothing."

"So," Emmett said, looking back at Frankie. "We've already had our first kiss. What do you say to getting our first date out of the way too?"

"Ooh, you've got moves," Frankie said, laughing a little while leaning back. "But sorry, Emmett. I don't really have time to date."

"Oh," he said, his smile dimming. "Well, do you have time for a new friend?"

"Maybe. I'll have to check my schedule," she joked. She figured he was all talk. No way was he going to keep hanging around now that he knew a date wasn't on the table.

Boy, was she wrong about that.

☽︎

Once or twice every week, Emmett smelled a werewolf at the end of the school day. They all did, but he never paid it any mind after Edward explained he was picking a girl up from school. But this time, he noticed that the warm scent he'd been thinking of since lunch was joined with the wolf smell.

Emmett's head whipped around fast, spotting Frankie immediately. She was walking up to a rusted blue truck, the driver's head hanging out the window. For the most part, Emmett stayed out of the werewolf treaty business, but he knew enough to recognize Sam Uley, the alpha of the pack.

Well, it was barely a pack considering there were only two of them.

"What the hell is she doing with that mutt?" Emmett asked, beginning to shake from anger.

Jasper immediately sent calming waves toward him to calm him down. "Looks like he's giving her a ride," Alice said while putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's lived here all her life. It's expected for her to know some of them."

"That is not a good enough answer," Emmett mumbled childishly. Then his eyes scanned the parking lot at an inhuman pace, finding who he needed to. He walked a little too fast toward Jessica Stanley, who was standing next to a girl he was only partially sure was named Angela. "Jessica. Angela."

She froze like a deer in headlights when he approached them. And Angela actually looked behind herself to see if there was some other person named Angela behind them — there wasn't.

"Hey," Emmett said while shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "That guy that Frankie is leaving with? Who is that?"

It took Jessica a second, but once Angela stomped on her toes, she snapped out of it. "Oh, that's, um, Sam. He's a family friend. Frankie doesn't have a car, so he picks her up and drives her over to La Push. She's a mechanic over there — one of the best." Even if Frankie wasn't there, Jessica was prepared to talk her friend up. "Then she just walks home."

Emmett frowned at that. "She walks home all the way from La Push? At night?"

"Yeah, but she only lives like fifteen minutes from the shop," Angela said, thinking it was sweet he was worried. "She actually lives in La Push, but her dad put her in school with us when we were younger instead of going to school over there."

And just like that, Emmett's great day was ruined. Frankie Roman was his mate and lived in a territory he wasn't even allowed to go to. And she was a family friend of the leader of a pack of werewolves. There was also a good chance she had Quileute blood running through her veins as well since she lived on the reservation.

"But you don't have to be jealous of Sam or anything," Jessica suddenly said. Sure, Emmett was basically a celebrity, but she could spot an insecure boy from a mile away. "Like, she has a ton of guy friends down there, and they're all mega hot—"

"Jess," Angela hissed, knowing she wasn't helping.

"Right, but, like, she says they're all like brothers to her," Jessica continued. "Even Paul, which, like, hello? She sees him at work every day sweaty and shirtless and covered in grease and doesn't want to jump his—"

"Jessica, not the point," Angela again said, rubbing her forehead. Then she sighed. "Look, Emmett, it's really nice that you want to get to know Frankie more but you can't expect anything romantic from her just because she kissed you earlier. I mean, even if she wanted to, she doesn't have the time."

"That's okay," Emmett said with a small smile that made them feel like swooning. "I can wait."

☽︎

"Hey, Sammy," Frankie greeted the slightly older man who was waiting for her in the parking lot. He would pick her up on days when he had errands to do in town and then take her to work or just home since it was on his way.

"Hey, Mekko. How was school?" he questioned while leaning over to open the passenger side door for her. He always asked that as if Frankie was the type to pay attention in class.

"Eh," she mumbled while climbing up into the truck. Sam was like an older brother, so no way was she gonna brag about kissing a hot guy at lunch. Besides, everyone on the reservation hated the Cullens, all of them holding a little too much stock in the legends. "Passed that history test I took on Monday."

"Knew you would."

Frankie just smiled and shook her head. "No, you didn't."

"No, I didn't," he admitted with a little laugh as he got out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

As they went past, Frankie could've sworn she saw Emmett's imposing figure looming over Jessica and Angela, but that was ridiculous. He'd have no reason to talk to either of them.

"How long is your shift today?" Sam questioned.

"Just an hour and a half, then Tyler is picking me up," she explained. "All I've gotta do is the finishing touches on the engine for Mr. Altieri's bike, and then I'm free."

"Well, expect Em to swing by," he said, a content smile as he mentioned his fiancée. "She tried out this new muffin recipe and kinda went overboard. Made way too many."

"What kind?"

"Blueberry and banana nut," he informed her.

"Fuck yeah!"

Emily was always bringing food over to the Roman family. Since Raylan cooked all day at the diner, she knew he often didn't want to come home and do it. And Frankie was just a shit cook, not having picked the skill up from her father. Besides, everyone knew how tight on money the small family was, so ensuring that they had breakfast the next morning eased Emily's anxiety.

Of course, she always claimed it was because she had extra, but Raylan knew her true intentions. Thankfully, he wasn't too proud to accept it — though he struggled with it when his wife first died. But after a few too many nights where Frankie didn't know if she was gonna have dinner or not, he got over it really quick and welcomed the sympathy casseroles.

"Sam, I'm gonna marry your fiancée if you don't have the wedding soon," Frankie informed him matter-of-factly.

Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes. "We've been engaged for like three weeks."

"And you should hurry up and seal the deal before I steal her," she said, crossing her arms.

"Something tells me that sixteen-year-olds aren't her type."

"I will be seventeen in one month."

"And still another year too young for it to be legal."

"I can wait forever for the pretty lady," she declared.

Sam just grinned and shook his head, turning onto a gravel backroad that would get them to the shop quicker than the main road. "When's the next game? Me and the guys will try to come out for it."

"Next Thursday, but don't let Jared paint my name on his chest again please."

"You loved it," he said with a smirk. "You want to be the only one that any of them cheer for."

"True," she admitted, knowing she loved being the center of attention. Hell, she'd loved the stares she got after kissing Emmett Cullen at lunch.

The rest of the car ride passed with them catching up on their days before Sam turned up the radio, refusing to let Frankie turn it off the country station he loved to listen to. She'd complain but then mouth the words to the old songs she'd heard since she was little. Soon, she was at work, her elbows covered in grease as she finished putting together the small engine on a motorcycle. At least there, Paul was blasting her favorite classic rock station.

"Can you not wail like a dying cat for five fucking minutes?" Paul asked, who was working on Billy's old red truck. There were a few issues that his young son Jacob couldn't fix even though he was growing into quite the mechanic himself. He'd come in and learn from Paul and Frankie when he was free.

"You know I have to sing when Kiss From a Rose comes on," she argued back, smearing some grime on her forehead as she pushed her hair back. Maybe it was because she was in the band, but any time she didn't have her guitar in hand, she didn't put much effort into singing and would purposefully sing badly, thinking it was more fun that way. "Besides, you sound like an America's Got Talent reject any time you try to sing."

"I'm too hot to be kicked off," he said with a smirk that she didn't see but knew was there.

"As if," she scoffed. "And I'm a total fucking piece, Paul."

"A piece that hasn't gotten any ass since Christina Wilson a year ago."

"Woah! Flag on the play!" Frankie exclaimed, sitting up to look at him. "I can get ass if I wanted it."

Paul let out a bark of a laugh. "You sound as pathetic as Quil at Prom last year."

Frankie and Paul, while not related unless you counted distantly because of their Quileute blood, were siblings even if not by blood. The two bickered about anything and everything but were still joined at the hip when together. Also when together, they brought out both the best and worst in each other.

She kept him more laid back, but she encouraged his hotheadedness. He was always there for Frankie no matter what, but his boyish and blunt mannerisms rubbed off on her.

"Hey, do you have an impact wrench over there?" Frankie asked, not seeing hers around.

"Catch."

"No—" Despite her protesting, Paul threw the heavy tool, which thankfully didn't break as Frankie hopped to her feet and caught it. She glared at him and was tempted to throw it at his head, but if she killed him, his dad would probably fire her. "You're the worst."

"Just yesterday you were calling Jared the worst."

"Because he cut all his hair off like Sam," she whined, getting back to work. "Like, I love Sammy, but the hair and the tattoos? He's taking the whole protect the tribe thing a little too far."

"Don't I know it," Paul chuckled while pulling his long, black hair back in a messy bun.

A few weeks ago, Jared missed some school and started hanging out with Sam more, which was odd, because he was several years older, and Jared used to spend all his time with Paul. They were the best of friends, but now the two were fighting, as Paul thought Jared was keeping something from him.

He was, as a matter of fact. He turned into a fucking wolf at will and didn't know how to control it yet, so he didn't want to be around Paul and potentially hurt him. But Frankie and Paul didn't know about that, so when she was around Sam, she just avoided bringing Jared up altogether even though she was dying to ask about him.

"I do kinda want some tattoos, though. Not weird symbols like his — just some dumb shit."

"What kinda dumb shit?"

"I don't know," she said while tightening the final bolt, securing the cover over the engine. "A song lyric or a funny quote or maybe a frog—"

"A frog?"

"Frogs are cool, Paul. Don't act like they aren't."

☽︎

"Here," Angela said, walking over to Frankie as she arrived at Tyler's house to watch their practice. She and Eric rode together and had some pizzas with them, thankfully, but that wasn't what Angela was holding.

It was a bright pink sticker that said 'DADDY' in a curly font, and it put an instant smile on Frankie's face as she accepted it.

"Made me think of you," she said, giggling.

"This is so sick," Frankie gushed, taking the sticker. She quickly scurried over to the yellow bass guitar that was already covered in other stickers. Making sure to line it up so that it was parallel to the strings and could be read while she was playing, she stuck it on.

There were a few other people gathered around Tyler's spacious garage, some with cheap lawn chairs they brought and school work. There was sort of fuck-all to do in Forks, so watching the band rehearse was quality entertainment.

"Now, pizza me, bitch," Frankie said, turning to face Eric.

He just grinned and opened the lid of the large pepperoni and then grabbed a slice, throwing it her way. She caught it and then tossed it in the air a bit because it was still hot. But then she just bit the bullet and shoved half the slice in her mouth, managing to keep ahold of it as she chewed on it.

"Delicious," she muttered, her words barely understandable. Then she grabbed the crust and pulled it back so that she could speak. "Jess, what song do you wanna do next?"

Jessica was picking pepperonis off her slice and eating them and just shrugged. "You said you thought of a new bass line in chem, right? Wanna play it for us while we eat?"

"Yeah," she grinned, "you got it."

Frankie was nothing if not a fast eater, so after consuming her crust — it was stuffed because Eric was an angel — she ate half another then grabbed her guitar. "Okay, so this is gonna be for that poem you've got about the brutal high school crush," she said, nodding to Jess. Then she stuck one end of the crust in her mouth and began to play a series of notes, the low tone filling the air.

Tyler nodded along, getting a feel for the beat, and when it repeated, he started to lightly play on his drumset, trying to find a rhythm that fit it. And Jessica washed her pizza down with a soda before beginning to hum along to make sure it was all in her range. But before Jess could grab her own pink and sparkly guitar that she had custom ordered, she spotted someone who made her voice catch in her throat.

Emmett Cullen was leaning against the tree in Tyler's front yard, and by his side was Edward Cullen, who — admittedly — didn't look all that thrilled to be there. The larger of the two boys had his eyes glued to Frankie's figure, not seeming at all deterred by her face with a few grease smudges still on it or the way she turned her face upward so that gravity could assist her in eating the pizza crust without using her hands.

Three Cullen interactions in one day was far too overwhelming for any normal human.

But Frankie wasn't normal, even if she didn't really understand that yet. So, when she spotted the newest audience members, she caught Emmett's golden gaze and simply winked at him, making his dimpled smile appear. Then she kept on playing, so unaffected by him that it drove Emmett crazy.

He wasn't vain or anything, but ever since turning, he'd gotten used to girls swooning at the sight of him so much so that he could ignore it. That was the whole point — it helped vampires lure their prey in before killing them, not that Emmett would kill Frankie. So, why wasn't the one girl he wanted falling to her knees before him doing so? It'd certainly make things a lot easier. But now he felt like the one being drawn in for the kill.

"You want her on her knees?" Edward asked with a prominent grimace. "What year is it?"

"Not like that," Emmett grumbled. "I just mean, like, why isn't she obsessed with me? I'm obsessed with her!"

"It's not even been six hours since you learned she existed," he reminded him.

Emmett practically dragged Edward to the band rehearsal after hearing about it from Jessica, ready to take every opportunity to see her as much as he could. Besides, Carlisle wasn't home from work yet to tell him about finding his mate, so he had nothing better to do.

"But do you think she likes me?"

Edward glanced at Frankie just as she caught sight of Emmett, noticing his arrival. She tilted her head to the side and studied the boys for just a moment before making eye contact. And her thoughts as she winked at Emmett rang through Edward's mind.

'Ugh, he smiled at you. Fuck, he's cute. Look away. Look at Angela.'

The sheer annoyance Frankie seemed to have with herself made Edward chuckle, making him wish Jasper were there to read her emotions. "Well, she doesn't dislike you."

"I will take that as a win," he declared. "How long before you think I can kiss her again?"

"She doesn't have time to date," he reminded him. "Band, school, job, soccer. You'd think she was the one that didn't sleep."

"Thirty seconds a day is enough time for me," Emmett said, meaning his words as pathetic as they might've been. In fact, he was pretty sure he saw a flyer saying that the soccer team needed a new manager—

"Verging on stalking, Em," Edward spoke up, hearing his plan. "And you know Carlisle's rule about sports."

"But I wouldn't be playing. I'd be getting water bottles and rounding up soccer balls and, like, I don't know, washing towels."

"Emmett, I've never seen you do laundry."

"Well, neither have you."

Emmett and Edward stayed by the tree for the entire rehearsal, everyone from school steering clear from them the whole time. Every now and then, Edward would get embarrassed when Emmett would let out an impressed 'whoop' or clap for the band, but all in all, it wasn't that bad. Soon, the sun was sinking and people were packing up to go home for the day.

And so, with his hands shoved in his pockets and feeling nervous for the first time in his immortal life, Emmett approached Frankie as she was packing her guitar up in its case.

"Well, well, well," Frankie said, beating him to a greeting. She didn't even have to look up to know he was coming. "Have I got myself a stalker or something?"

"Something like that," he said in a joking tone. "Heard you guys had open rehearsals. Figured it wouldn't hurt to see what you sounded like. It was all pretty cool."

"Thanks," she said, smiling a little. Then she looked over his shoulder at Edward. "I don't think it's your brother's kind of sound, though."

"Definitely not," he said, laughing. "He was miserable the whole time, but that's nothing new — he's miserable every day."

Edward audibly sighed and rolled his eyes, making Frankie giggle. It reminded her of when she hung out with Jacob, as they always picked on each other.

"He's a better sibling than I'd be then," she admitted. "Look, I really appreciate you coming, but I've gotta start walking home. My dad is waiting. There's a game on that we're gonna catch."

"I could walk you," Emmett found himself walking, not even thinking about where she lived. "If - if that's okay?"

Frankie thought it was cute — the huge but quiet guy stuttering over his words. So, she found herself agreeing. "Sure. Get to walking, Cullen."

"Lead the way, Roman," he said while also grabbing her guitar case for her.

"Thanks," she said softly at the gesture. "It's this way. I take a shortcut through the woods, so hope you don't get scared."

As they left Tyler's garage, Frankie ignored Jessica and Angela, who were watching with jaws dropped as she left with Emmett.

"So," he began, "what's your favorite color?"

Frankie couldn't help but laugh at the simple question as they reached the tree line. "What?"

"Well, it was pointed out to me many times that we don't know each other. I wanna change that," he explained. "So, my favorite color is blue."

"Pink," she told him. "But green is a close second."

"You must love living out here then," he noted while looking around at all the greenery surrounding them. Emmett was also scanning every inch of the forest, making sure he wouldn't step into Quileute territory. The Crowley house was a little too close to the treaty line for comfort, and Edward was silently tailing them, ready in case Sam Uley and Jared Cameron caused any trouble.

"I do," she admitted, smiling at the hanging branches covered in damp leaves. "The woods right by the reservation are the best of it all, though."

Asking him if he'd been was on the tip of her tongue, but she caught herself, remembering the weird agreement that the Cullen family wasn't allowed on their land.

Did her house count as their land? Her Uncle Billy — not her uncle by blood — always said their trailer was right on the line, whatever the hell that meant. Raylan had moved them there specifically so that they were close enough that she could go to Forks High School.

"Well, I think some of my favorite hiking places will have it beat," Emmett told her, not focusing on her mention of the reservation either. Though it wasn't exactly an easy trek for a human to get to his favorite hunting spots.

"I hate hiking," she told him, shaking her head. "But I get there's not much else to do around here. Though I don't imagine there was much to do in Alaska. That's where you came from, right?"

"Yup," he said, pleased that he wasn't lying to her. They'd been living with the Denali coven before returning to Forks. "And also, yeah, not much to do. I do get it — not liking hiking. It's more of a, uh, family bonding thing. I'd rather be playing video games or watching ESPN."

"See, that's an actual fun time," she said, grinning. "What kind of games do you play?"

"Um, all of them, honestly," he said, laughing a little. With all the time in the world, Emmett didn't bother to be picky. He had every gaming system and a shelf full of games ranging from sports to fighting-type games and even ones meant for kids like Lego games. "Been on a Digimon Rumble Arena kick lately."

"Shut up! I love that game," she told him. "Jess' little brother has it for his GameCube, but they almost never wanna play it with me."

"Well, you're free to come and challenge me any time, but you will lose," he informed her, hoping she'd accept the casual invitation.

"I'll have to find the time," Frankie said. She glanced at Emmett out of the corner of her eye. "I meant it before, you know? I really don't have a lot of free time. That wasn't me just gently turning you down."

"I know," he assured her. "I asked Jessica about you. Sounds like your life is insanely busy when soccer is in season."

Frankie raised a surprised eyebrow. "You asked Jess about me?" she questioned, unable to believe he cared that much. After all, she was sure most of the Cullen family was anti-Jess, which made Frankie anti-Cullen. "What'd she say?"

Emmett began to count on his fingers. "Soccer, bass player, mechanic, A-plus student—"

She laughed at that one, knowing Jessica definitely hadn't bragged on her grades.

"Point is, I get it," he went on. "You've got a life. I just think I'd like to be part of that life in whatever capacity that I can."

"All because I kissed you at lunch?" she asked, sounding a little amused.

He let out a playful sigh. "That was a really good kiss, you have to admit."

"It was," she said, hating that her face heated up the slightest bit. "And maybe if I have the time every now and then, we could try it again."

Emmett perked up at that. He hadn't considered that she was open to other things, just not dating. And he supposed having the time to make out in the school hallway and going on a date in Port Angeles were two very different time commitments.

"Have the time as in, like, right now?" he asked, sounding embarrassingly hopeful.

Frankie chuckled at that and shook her head, thinking it was cute how enamored he'd become with her in such a short time. Call her a narcissist, but she loved the attention from a boy so beautiful.

"No, not right now," she said, making his smile dim. "Mainly because I'm home."

Emmett finally looked away from her — because he had been watching her for the last few minutes — and realized where they were. The medium-sized trailer was mere inches away from the treaty line, and he was so goddamn grateful that it sat on the Forks side of it all, meaning he was welcome and not violating anything.

"It's not much," she said, feeling a little self-conscious as he looked at the trailer. Normally, Frankie didn't think less of herself because of how much money her family had, but she knew the Cullen family was fucking wealthy. Like Richie Rich rich and Scrooge McDuck loaded.

"Dude, your car is so cool," was the first thing he said, spotting the green Jeep that was a few years older than his model.

"Yeah, I don't have him running yet," she grinned. "Still saving for a few parts, but I'm gonna sand and prime it next week so that I can repaint it soon."

"I don't know anything about cars," he admitted. "But Rose loves working on them. She keeps us from ruining ours."

"Good. I'd have a heart attack if you ruined cars as nice as yours," she said, laughing. "Anyway, thanks for walking me. You sure you can get back okay?"

"Yeah, I know my way around the woods," he assured her. "See you Monday?"

"See you Monday, Cullen," she said, smiling at him one last time before heading inside, leaving him smiling in the front yard.

"See ya," he mumbled, feeling the happiest he had in a long time just from one short conversation.

"This is not gonna end well," Edward said, coming out of the tree line.

Emmett scoffed playfully. "You don't know that. You aren't Alice."

"And Alice not being able to completely see her future isn't worrisome?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Emmett just let out a grumble, a little bothered by that as well. "Let's go."

☽︎

"Snack?" Frankie asked as soon as she had one foot in the door.

"Cajun fries," Raylan answered while pulling a tray of fries out of the small oven.

That was Frankie's way of asking what they'd be eating while watching the Manchester United game that was coming on. No matter what they ate for dinner, they always had snacks when watching any kind of sport. When the Olympics came on every two years, they both ended up gaining some weight, but it was like their Christmas.

"Sublime!" she said while dropping her backpack by the door. Despite there being homework inside, she wouldn't pick it up all weekend.

"And Flora had some leftover peanut butter pie that was about to go bad," he added. "In the fridge. Have until Sunday to eat it."

Frankie shook her head while heading to the refrigerator. "We both know that's not gonna last."

He let out a laugh and nodded. "I know. You inhale that stuff."

"It's peanut butter pie, Dad," she said with a dreamy sigh. "Of course, I inhale it."

"So, how was school?" Raylan asked while getting their plates ready to take to their recliners. They were a well-oiled machine at this point, him fixing plates while Frankie grabbed drinks to put in their cup holders.

"Long," she groaned. "But Mr. Altieri is a mega-good tipper. If it didn't mean I did shit work, I'd wish his bike would break down more."

"Tell him to tip at the diner, 'cause he sure as hell don't," he said with a chuckle while sitting in his overstuffed chair as Frankie sat in hers. "Get that test back?"

"Passed," she said proudly.

"Atta girl," he told her, knowing she had been worried about it — okay, not that worried, but he was worried. "We're doing a cookout with Sam, Emily, and the Camerons tomorrow night, so try to be here by four."

"Got it," she said, nodding. "We'd better get there early before Jared eats everything."

Raylan just shook his head, knowing between his daughter and Jared, there wouldn't be a single scrap of leftovers. Honestly, even with her constantly staying in shape for soccer even in the off-season, he didn't know where she put it all. Though really she just reminded him of himself at that age, shoving fries down his throat while talking about his day, not bothering to chew.

That worried him sometimes — how much of himself he saw in Frankie. Her mother, Elena, had been timid, polite, and levelheaded. Frankie was nothing like her — too impulsive and laidback for some people's liking. And she wore her heart on her sleeve every day, which wasn't always a good thing depending on her mood.

And Raylan knew that one day, everything would change as Frankie did for the first time. With the Cullen family in town, there wasn't a doubt in his or any of the elders on the council's mind that Frankie would shift — she was the only child of the Mekko bloodline, which had been her mother's maiden name. Elena never had shifted, as she died before the Cullens moved to town, but it was only a matter of time before Frankie did.

At first, Raylan was like everyone else, thinking that the stories about spirit shifters and vampires were just tribe legends, but after Sam Uley turned, Billy Black, Harry Clearwater, and Old Quil brought Raylan onto the council in the place of his wife, filling him in on it all. He about shit his pants when Sam shifted into a wolf in front of him for the first time. He hadn't taken it well at all.

And something told him that when the day came, Frankie wasn't gonna take it well either.